Protector
by FatefulAfterlife
Summary: Roadhog finds a small boy and saves him from irradiated rain. The boy is invited to live with him and accepts. Basically, he adopts the kid.
1. Encounter

"Anything else you wanna say before I break ya, rat?" a six year old boy asked, pinning a smaller four year old to the ground. The larger boy had orange hair and blue eyes, which always looked intimidating, and he was definitely stronger looking than his victim.

"Get off me, Jeb!" the smaller boy yelled, tears on his cheeks made defined lines in the dirt and soot on his face.

"Or what?" Jeb smirked. He twisted the boy's arm behind his back, gaining a small squeal. Thunder boomed in the distance, signalling that more burning, irradiated rain was to fall on the streets of Junkertown. Everyone knew that it burnt your skin if you got touched by it.

"We'll both be caught in the storm!" the boy squeaked out.

"I won't. I'll go back to Junkertown and hide with my parents in a cozy, sheltered spot. I'm leaving you out here to rot." Jeb replied.

"I'll run back with you, Jeb! We'll both be safe from the rain." the boy negotiated.

"No you won't." Jeb replied coldly.

The gates of Junkertown began to move, closing themselves and locking into place. Both boys glanced at the only entry point into the place, it was a small door that led directly to one of the alleyways in Junkertown. Only the boys and a few other kids knew it was there.

"I'll make sure you suffer out here, rat." Jeb whispered into the boy's ear.

Jeb leaped to his feet and ran as fast as he could to the door. The small boy got up as well, though slower. He ran to the door only to see Jeb closing it.

"I told you already, rat, you're not getting in. Have fun out there with no shelter!" Jeb cackled, closing the door.

"No!! Please please please let me in!! I don't wanna suffer out here!!" the boy yelled. His thick Australian accent made his words almost incomprehensible when he spoke that fast.

After begging to be let in for a solid five minutes, he slumped against the door and started bawling, nearly washing away the soot on his face. He ran his hands through his patchy blond hair in deep thought.

"Damnit, Jamison... if you weren't so damn skinny you could have totally gotten to safety faster than him..." he spoke angrily to himself.

Jamison Fawkes was a rather scrawny four year old. Unhealthily underweight. He had freckles under all the soot and dirt, and a pair of bright amber eyes. He wore camo shorts, ripped boots and a white sleeveless shirt which was ripped to high hell.

One thing was sure, his eyes weren't so bright now as he stared down at the dirt and sand. A loud clap of thunder snapped him back to reality. The first drop fell right onto his left arm, making a small hissing sound as it burnt his arm. Jamison half screamed, half squeaked. As a reflex, he scuttled away from the door as if it would help the pain. As more drops fell, he continued to get burned, drop by drop. He curled into a ball to insure that none of the drops got to his face. A good portion of them were burning his back after his shirt had been eaten through. He sobbed, hoping that something, anything would help him.

Roadhog, formerly known as Mako Rutledge, had been walking across the desert for a while now. He'd hoped to arrive at Junkertown before the storm hit but he was now using a large sheet of metal as an umbrella from the rain. He walked on a familiar route to get to the place. There was no noise, just the sound of the chain on his hook and the rain. Quiet. Roadhog liked quiet. He passed a broken car, burnt black from the initial blast of the explosion from the Omnium. Roadhog recognized it as a landmark, telling him that he was close to his destination. He walked for a bit longer and found the front gates of Junkertown. He walked up to the gate and was bummed to see that they were locked. He turned to leave but heard something. It cut through the silence with ease. Crying. Roadhog turned in the direction of the crying and saw a small boy huddled against the walls, sobbing. Even from the distance, Roadhog could tell that the kid had been out in the rain for a while, judging by the amount of burn marks on his skin. Roadhog walked over to the kid and held out the makeshift umbrella, covering both him and the kid.

Jamison looked up at whoever was shielding him from pain temporarily. His first instinct was to scream but he couldn't. He couldn't even scuttle away. He was shivering and cold, still in a tremendous amount of pain. He looked up at the man, eyes red from crying. His muscles practically screamed at him not to move, yet he did anyway.

"Kid are you alright?" the man spoke softly.

"I-I don't k-know... everything hurts real bad..." Jamison trailed off.

"My name is Mako, but call me Roadhog. Kid I know a place in town where I stashed some medical supplies. Do you want shelter and help?" Roadhog asked.

Jamison hesitated. His mind was racing with bad outcomes from this, but what choice did he have? Even if it turned out bad, he'd at least be in town to run for some shelter.

"A-are you sure? You're for r-real?" Jamison questioned.

"I'm a man of my word. And I don't like seeing kids in pain." Roadhog told him.

"M-my name is Jamison... Jamison F-Fawkes..." Jamison replied.

"Nice to meet you, kid." Roadhog said.

"I-I know a way in... into the town I mean..." Jamison told him, gesturing to the well hidden door.

"I can bust it open, kid. Just stand back a bit." Roadhog warned.

Jamison nodded and stepped back. Roadhog ripped the door clean off the hinges, and the painful squeak of metal on metal was heard, making Jamison cringe a small bit.

"There. Now let's move kid, otherwise you might get those infected." Roadhog pointed out, gesturing to the burn marks.

Roadhog led the boy to a previously used workshop and took him upstairs. Roadhog fished around cabinets and got medical supplies. Jamison sat on a stool to watch Roadhog's movements. Roadhog took out rolls of bandages and bandaged the wounds Jamison had. The boy seemed to be in a lot of pain. Whenever a bandage was applied, Jamison would flinch, or grit his teeth. When there was nothing left to patch up, Roadhog prepared a small bed in the room.

"Are you tired?" Roadhog asked.

Jamison nodded.

"You can stay for however long you want, kid." Roadhog offered.

Jamison was too tired and went to sleep in the bed, passing out immediately.

Jamison woke up the next day. A bowl of soup was beside the bed, left for him by Roadhog. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, perhaps a bit too fast because his body still ached a fair bit. He ate the soup and walked downstairs. He saw Roadhog working on something in the workshop.

"Hey, Roadhog?" Jamison asked, gaining Roadhog's attention.

"Jamison... you're awake. How are you feeling?" Roadhog asked in return.

"It doesn't hurt as bad now..." Jamison replied.

Roadhog turned around to face the boy. Jamison finally got a good look at him.

"Woah!! I like your mask! It's real neat!" Jamison pointed out.

"It's a mask I use to avoid radiation. But thanks." Roadhog replied.

"You're huge! Is that machete sharp? How effective is your armour?" Jamison asked.

"You ask a lot of questions kid," Roadhog noticed. "Why don't you tell me something about you? Where are your parents?" Roadhog asked.

"They're dead. Died when the Omnium exploded, horrible blokes though. They deserved it." Jamison replied coldly. He sat down on a stool that was in the workshop.

"And why is that?" Roadhog asked.

"Those people... they hated me. Dad always threw me out of the house at night, until he decided to leave us. Mom hated my guts for that, thinkin' I was the reason. She never paid any attention to me after that. But they always fought, which was probably the real reason..." Jamison replied, sounding slightly angry.

"Damn, kid. That's rough."Roadhog remarked. "You could stay with me if you'd like." he offered, holding out his giant hand

Jamison thought about it for a minute, before taking Roadhog's hand.

"Sure!" Jamison said, smiling now.


	2. Acceptance

Roadhog smiled behind his mask. He'd wanted a child for the longest time, since he found out his wife couldn't bear children. She had died during the big explosion. He made a silent vow to protect this child with his life.

"Why were you out in the rain yesterday, Jamison?" Roadhog asked.

Jamison's face darkened.

"There's this kid... named Jeb... he and I had gone outside the walls to explore. Then, as usual, he decided to hurt me. Then he ran back to town when he heard the thunder and trapped me out. If I had been a bit faster, I would've made it. Maybe I would have looked a little less pathetic." the boy replied, tears welling in his eyes.

Roadhog wiped away the tears and patted Jamison on the head.

"If he's so desperate for superiority that he's willing to beat up someone smaller than him, than he's the pathetic one. Not you." Roadhog reassured.

"Really?" Jamison asked.

"Really." Roadhog told him.

Jamison looked down at his shoes then back up at Roadhog, his eyes now filled with curiousity.

"What are you working on?" the boy asked.

"Canisters of gas. I use them for medical purposes, though only I can stand them." Roadhog explained.

"Cool!" Jamison replied.

"When I'm done making some, we're leaving town. There are too many hostile people here." Roadhog said, ruffling Jamison's hair.

"Gotcha! Can I help?" Jamison asked eagerly.

"Actually... you could go to one of my old sheds near here. I stashed some spare empty canisters there. It's just to the right of that little shop, see it?" Roadhog asked.

Jamison nodded.

"I'm going to leave the door open. That way, if you need help, just call my name and I'll be there to help." Roadhog told him, handing Jamison a key.

Jamison nodded and ran out the door. He followed the simple directions and saw the shed. He took another step and felt a hand grab his shoulder, pulling him back. He turned, and was met with a hard punch to the jaw. It was Jeb. Jamison fell to the ground, still in shock.

"Didn't I make it clear you were supposed to stay out there and suffer yesterday rat?" Jeb asked angrily.

"I-I did suffer..." Jamison managed to stutter out.

"Well let's see the damage!" Jeb yelled, ripping off the bandages.

Jamison squeaked a bit, wincing in pain while trying to stand up. Jeb smiled a little, pulling off more bandages from the smaller boy's arms and legs. When they were all off, Jeb victoriously dropped them on the ground, smirking at his handiwork.

"Happy now?" Jamison said sternly, the tears on his face stopped in their tracks. He now looked angry.

"Look at all those burns. Damn I really am a genius!" Jeb said.

Jeb walked over to Jamison and poked the burns. Jamison gritted his teeth and winced in pain.

"That hurt, rat?" Jeb teased.

"Not at all." Jamison forced out a small smile through the pain.

This pissed Jeb off to no end. It was a mistake he'd regret.

"Oh really? Then I'll make it hurt!!" Jeb yelled, grabbing Jamison's shirt and pulling him into another punch to the jaw.

Jamison was knocked to the ground again, winded. Jeb walked over to his victim and put his foot on the smaller boy's chest, putting all his weight on that one foot.

"Get. Off!!" Jamison wheezed, using a threatening tone.

"You can still talk, huh? Hm. Guess I'll have to kick your ass worse!" Jeb smirked.

Jamison gave him no time to react, using both legs to kick the other boy off him. He stood up and stared at his rival, anger in his amber eyes. Jamison walked over to Jeb and attempted to land a punch, but instead he left himself open. Jeb took the chance to stand up fast, arms outstretched. He grabbed Jamison by the throat and hoisted him up, slamming his back against a wall, strangling him.

"Road..hog..." Jamison coughed out, losing air by the second.

"Who's that? Your imaginary friend?" Jeb said, kneeing the other boy in the stomach. "Choose your next words carefully, if any at all."

Jamison was still attempting to get Jeb's hands off his throat, holding back tears.

"Let... go..." Jamison almost sounded threatening.

Jamison took his hands away from preventing loss of oxygen and landed a solid punch to his rival.

Jeb punched him in the eye in self-defence and anger, leaving a large bruise on his left eye. Jamison fell from Jeb's hands onto the ground, coughing and choking uncontrollably, finally getting to breathe. Jamison kicked the other boy as hard as he could, knocking him back a bit. Jeb dragged the other boy to his feet. He punched him in the stomach three times before Jamison couldn't move and fell to the dirt again. Jeb curled his hand into a fist until he had white knuckles and prepared for another punch, when he was picked up by the back of his shirt. He turned to see a large man with a pig mask holding him four feet in the air.

"Let me go, asshole!! I don't know who the hell you are, but you sure as hell better put me down NOW!!" Jeb whined, kicking his legs.

"You're hurting a boy younger than you, with a clearly weaker body build. Does that make you feel good about your own life?" Roadhog asked.

"Not really. I do it to make his life misery!" Jeb smiled.

"Wrong answer." Roadhog coldly replied.

Roadhog punched Jeb square in the face, knocking him out and breaking his nose. Roadhog walked over to Jamison who was barely conscious.

"D-did you... get em?" Jamison spoke, his words slurring as he struggled to stay awake.

"Yeah." Roadhog reassured.

"Thanks..." Jamison trailed off, finally sleeping.

Roadhog picked up the unconscious boy and carried him in his arms like a newborn back to the workshop. He laid him on his bed and put more bandages on his arms, legs, and back to cover up the burns once more. He treated the bruises on Jamison's face and neck, where some heavy bruising was showing up. When he was sure that all the wounds had been patched up, he went downstairs and took a much needed nap.


	3. Music

Jamison woke up to the sound of an engine. He looked around and saw a motorcycle, an old one judging by how the tires touched the ground. The boy quickly found that he was sitting in the sidecar of the motorcycle. It was painted yellow with a smiley face on it. He turned around to see Roadhog packing a few more things for the trip, and realized that they'd be leaving Junkertown. He rubbed his eyes, pulled off the small blanket, did a little stretch, and noticed that he had more bandages on.

"Roadhog?" Jamison called out.

"Yes Jamison?" Roadhog replied, stuffing a few more canisters in a bag.

"How long are we gonna be gone for?" the boy questioned.

"Don't know. I don't want to come back to this place. If you want to visit every little while, tell me." Roadhog replied.

"I don't wanna come back here. Too many bad memories." Jamison stated.

Roadhog sat on the motorcycle, noticing the vehicle slightly sink.

"That's good. Put on that seatbelt in the sidecar for safety." Roadhog told him.

Jamison put the seatbelt on, putting the blanket overtop of him. He was still so cold for some reason. The motorcycle roared back to life again with the loud sound of and old motor. Jamison almost had to cover his ears. The motorcycle rolled up to the gates of Junkertown. Roadhog gave some kind of signal to the door guards and they opened it, allowing them to leave. The motorcycle's noise began to fade as Jamison got used to it. It sped off into the desert, down a frequently used path. Roadhog reached into a pouch in one of his packed bags, pulling out a small, kind of outdated USB drive. He plugged it into the motorcycle and pressed a few buttons. It started to play music. Good music, good rhythm, catchy tune. Jamison had barely heard music his whole life, so hearing this filled him with joy and intrigue.

"Roadhog, what is this? I really like it!" Jamison asked, a bright smile on his face.

"It's called 'The Phoenix' by a band that goes by Fall Out Boy. They have more music like this, and there are other bands like them." Roadhog replied, surprised but happy that Jamison enjoyed the music.

"I like it. I like it a lot! Can I listen to more?" Jamison asked.

"Sure, if you want to." Roadhog agreed, switching songs.

Fall Out Boy was now Jamison's favorite band. It would remain that way. Jamison liked the energetic songs from My Chemical Romance, he liked the soft, but kind of fast paced songs from Twenty-One Pilots, and he especially liked the songs from Panic! At The Disco. He enjoyed the fun music from Green Day, the encouraging music from Skillet, and the angrier music from Three Days Grace. It was a mix of everything, and Jamison liked it that way. Roadhog liked that Jamison shared his music taste. Dark was approaching fast now. Roadhog pulled the motorcycle over and into a dried up pond to set up camp for the night. He started a fire to keep them both warm.

"About that fight you had with that kid... did you really land some good hits on him?" Roadhog questioned.

"Hell yeah I did. It's not like he didn't deserve it. He had it coming. I don't normally retaliate that much, normally just telling him to stop. But this time, I found the courage to try to show him that he can't hurt me anymore." Jamison replied.

"Good job, kid. You held your ground long enough for me to step in and help. That takes courage, determination and a little bit of crazy." Roadhog complimented.

"Thanks!" Jamison said.

Roadhog heated up a can of food over the fire, giving some to the small boy half asleep beside him. The kid finished the food and nodded off, Roadhog doing the same soon after.

The next morning, Jamison woke up early. He saw that Roadhog was still sleeping, being careful to not wake him. The kid pulled a small bag out of his shorts pocket. The bag contained a smaller bag of gunpowder, a brilliantly made shell to hold the gunpowder and to detonate it, a small screwdriver, some spare scrap metal and wiring, and some screws. Jamison added the scrap and wiring to the shell thing , giving it the shape of a sphere. He delicately added the gunpowder to the shell and closed it up. A small pin on the top kept the explosive from detonating. The boy had always been fond of explosives. So fond of them in fact, he learned how to make his own. He never got to use them, he sold them to people for food and water. Roadhog stirred before waking up. There was the kid, looking up at him with one of his hands behind his back.

"What do you have, Jamison?" Roadhog asked, half yawning.

"A bomb." Jamison replied. He quickly whipped out his new grenade and showed it to Roadhog like it was a piece of fine art. The boy's hands were twitching ever so slightly.

"Jamison, hand it to me, it's dangerous." Roadhog told him.

"Will you throw it?" the kid replied.

"Fine." The large man agreed. He took the grenade from Jamison's twitchy hands. He pulled the pin and launched it far away.

For a few seconds, nothing appeared to happen. Just the dust in the wind blowing across the dark coloured sand. Then there was the blast. A large ball of fire with such a loud sound, it could damage hearing in an instant if someone was close enough. The boy stopped twitching, and instead began giggling wildly with small twitches here and there.

"That was awesome!!! Thanks Roadie for throwin' it!!" Jamison cheered, arms in the air.

Roadhog raised a brow at this excitement the child felt from an explosive. He didn't have time to worry though, he had questions to ask.


	4. Backstory

"Did you make that?" Roadhog asked.

"Yup! Had the parts in my pockets." Jamison replied proudly.

"It was a good explosive. Well made, good job kid. The only thing I ask is that you tell me when you're going to make one so I can supervise the assembly and keep it safe for you. Otherwise, you might end up blowing yourself up. Nobody wants that." Roadhog told him.

"Gotcha! I'll be more careful!" Jamison beamed.

Roadhog sort of smiled back, sort of relieved that the explosive hadn't gone off while the kid was holding it. He could use the grenades if they were threatened. He didn't agree with a small child making deadly weapons, but that was how the outback was now. Everyone had some kind of talent keeping them alive. Some could kill, some could build, some went out scavenging. None of those could top the absurdity of a four year old making bombs. Not toy bombs. Real, deadly, could-level-an-entire-house bombs. The kid walked back over to his little work area he'd set up for himself in the shade of a rotted tree. Well, what was left of the tree. It was a burnt stump, just barely big enough to cast shade onto the child and his tinkering. The morning Australian sun was just waking up, though still just as baking hot. The kid scooped up all his stuff into a little brown bag which he stuffed into his pocket. Roadhog looked up at the baking hot sun, the tinted lenses on his mask helped like sunglasses. It wasn't quite noon, not quite early morning. Around ten or eleven in the morning. When it was noon, the sun would be it's hottest. It was hot enough to burn even the thickest and most conditioned skin. They'd have to move fast and find some sufficient shade. Big enough for both of them to not burn alive. He sat down on the motorcycle, the weight making it sink again. He gestured to the sidecar and Jamison hopped in, seatbelt on and a USB stick in his hand. He held it out to Roadhog and he played some music. Jamison nodded his head to the music and looked at the environment as they drove. The red sand seemed to stretch for ever, a few dead trees littered here and there. About twenty minutes had passed, judging by where the sun was. They were approaching a small hill. Nothing much, just a small dirt hill. As the bike was peeking over it, a medium sized shed came into view, looking like it was able to fit quite a bit inside. It looked to be metal and rusty. Roadhog drove the motorcycle up to it to see if it would fit. Jamison had been lip-syncing as best he could to a Panic! At The Disco song, just now noticing the shed. He hopped out, still enjoying the song, and walked into the shed.

"It's huge in here!" Jamison yelled out the door.

"Is there a way to open up the big door?" Roadhog asked. There was indeed a garage type door on it.

There was a squeak of the metal scraping against itself as the door opened, just enough to fit the motorcycle. Roadhog wheeled it in, stopping just inside. There were some broken windows giving the place some light, some spare car parts, a large box, and a workbench. Some of the light caught Jamison's amber eyes. The kid looked a bit scared. Roadhog patted him on the head for reassurance. The music from the bike was still playing. Roadhog walked over to the box and looked inside. There were several packages of food, water, several types of batteries, and a jerrycan full of gasoline. Roadhog turned to Jamison, who had been scavenging for parts from an old engine.

"We're not gonna starve to death, Jamie." Roadhog pointed out.

The kid looked up from his work.

"That's always good." the kid sort of mumbled, continuing to build.

"Whatcha working on?" Roadhog asked.

"Bombs." was the only response he got.

The two remained indoors until the sun was no longer at it's hottest. When the sun was starting to slip away to give way to night, the two set off again. About an hour into the drive, Jamison laid down in the sidecar to sleep. Roadhog turned off the music to help the boy sleep better. He pulled up to the nearest rotted tree and parked there for the night, getting off to sleep for the night. He would have dozed off, had it not been for a loud thump from the sidecar. Roadhog got up to investigate, a small match in his hand to help him see. The small kid inside said sidecar was twitching wildly. Upon further inspection, the kid was mumbling something and had tear tracks running down his face.

"Wake up." Roadhog said, shaking the kid gently and kneeling.

Jamison bolted awake and hugged Roadhog.

"I'm sorry!!"Jamison sobbed into Roadhog's shoulder.

"Jamie... it's okay. You didn't kill anyone. What happened." Roadhog calmly reassured.

"So many b-bad memories..." Jamison explained.

"What bad memories?" Roadhog asked.

"Dad hurting me and mum. Being hurt by Jeb. All of it." Jamison still sobbed.

"What did your dad do?" Roadhog questioned. It was a mistake to ask. Jamison began sobbing harder than before. Face in his hands and damn near about to scream.

"Jamie I'm sorry for asking, calm down... shhhhhhh" Roadhog used his best calm voice, patting the kid on the back. It took a little bit before the crying almost stopped.

"H-he would come into my r-room after hurting mom. He'd hurt me a lot. It didn't matter if y-you were in trouble or not. He'd hit me with glass b-bottles and his own fists. He made sure I barely ever got f-food. The night he left, he broke a bottle on my head after hitting me so hard I c-couldn't move. There was blood everywhere. M-mum got mad at him and almost shot him before he ran off. It started with him asking for another bottle of his gross drink. I didn't do it in time cause the fridge door was stuck. He walked over and grabbed my arm. He hit me in the stomach and face over and over again. He dropped me and I tried to escape, but everything hurt so much I couldn't. All I could do was spit up blood. He shouted about ruining his floor and picked me up again. This time he had an empty bottle in his other hand. My wrist hurt so much. I kind of struggled to get away and he smashed the bottle on my head. There was more blood. Glass hurts. He dragged me outside, through the glass. It was raining bad. He threw me out and locked the door. I heard a gunshot and then dad ran outside shouting that mom was crazy and he ran away. Mum helped me back inside. She took out the glass in my skin and got me some bandages. After that, she lost it and acted just like him. Dad came back one day. Mum threatened him with a gun, and he pulled one of his own on her. They sort of threatened back n' forth. Dad said he just wanted to see his son. I was hiding under a table and ran out back. I kept running until I found a hole in the ground. It was a large metal box. Then the Omnium blew up. I saw their burnt bodies when I left the box." Jamison explained, the last tear rolling down his cheek. His hands traced over several scars as he talked.

"Jamie... I'm so-" Roadhog was cut off.

"Roadhog please don't ever act like dad. Be a nice dad." Jamison asked, hugging Roadhog. Roadhog was a bit stunned, trying to wrap his head around the fact that the kid called him 'dad'.

"I promise. I'll try to be a good dad." Roadhog comforted.

"Roadie?" Jamison asked.

"What is it?" Roadhog replied.

"What if he's not dead?" Jamison suggested. "I never did check his body for breathing... only mum's."

"What if we check it out in the morning?" Roadhog replied.

"Okay. Thanks, Roadie." Jamison said, falling asleep still hugging Roadhog.

Roadhog ruffled the boy's hair. Jamie really called him 'dad'. Without

moving much, he reached for the kid's blanket and draped it on his small body. Roadhog fell asleep shortly after.


	5. Cannibal

The morning Australian sun awoke the two junkers from their sleep, meaning another day. Roadhog stood up and stretched, chuckling a bit watching Jamison do the same. They finished what they didn't eat the previous night and immediately set off to where the kid had said he had previously lived. Apparently, his house had been pretty far from the dreaded Omnium, near a very famous area. A lot of scavengers would go to that area to salvage and trade. The two were getting closer now, Roadhog focused on driving, and Jamie making another bomb in the sidecar. For this early in the morning, the kid was extremely focused on his work. Jamison popped his head up a few times to see if they were still on the right course. This time, he pointed at a small cluster of burnt houses.

"It's in there, Roadie." Jamison told him, fatigue evident in his tone.

"Gotcha." Roadhog replied, also tired.

Jamison sort of fidgeted with a small wrench for a solid minute, he looked troubled. Roadhog patted the boy's head.

"There's no reason to be scared, Jamie. After we investigate, we can go get some more parts for your bombs if you'd like." Roadhog offered.

The boy's eyes lit up at that.

"I like that plan! Thanks, Roadie!" Jamison eagerly replied.

They drove up to the burnt neighbourhood, Jamie scouting for his old house as they drove by all the houses. Each one had a different story, but same conclusion. They all had been burnt black by the explosion and the local ruffians. Some houses lacked roofs, others missing a couple walls, none had windows, and the flower beds were ashes. It appears to have connected to the city near it, acting as a sort of suburban area. The city had been decimated to nothing but scrap for scavengers these days. Jamison pointed to one house at the far end of the little road. This one was in worse shape than the rest, and the stench of burning bodies got strong enough to get through Roadhog's mask. This house was entirely gone, levelled to nothing but ash and burnt pieces. On what was formerly the front yard, laid a singular bone. It had been burnt like the rest of the neighbourhood. Jamison hopped out of the sidecar when the motorcycle slowed down.

"I-I don't get it... she was right here. Full body n' all, same with dad's." Jamison stuttered a small bit.

The kid picked up the bone, inspecting it. Roadhog dismounted his bike to join the boy. He placed a hand on Jamie's shoulder.

"Maybe some wild animal stole the bodies?" Roadhog suggested.

A sound was heard from within the pieces of the house. It sounded like something living was in there. Before Roadhog could finish his thought, a human hand clawed it's way out of the rubble, trying to drag out whatever it was attached to. The hand was skeletal and pale, it looked like a zombie. Neither junker could really do much except watch with horror as the hand became much more, a full on human to be exact. The man appeared to be living there. When the man looked at them, they could clearly see that almost seventy percent of his body was covered in black burns. Half of his face was burnt, the other half ugly but without any trace of burns. He appeared to lack hair except a few strands of brown hair. He had dull and terrifying blue eyes. His skin was suntanned and he wore a tattered cloak. If Roadhog hadn't been paying attention to the stranger, he might have seen the look of realization and pure shock from Jamison. The kid had to tug on his arm to snap him out of it. He just stared up at him wide-eyed.

"Is that...? It is!!!" the stranger shouted.

Jamison hid behind Roadhog.

"My son! Jamison! Your dad's been looking for you!" the father still shouted.

Roadhog felt shocked, then all the pieces fell into place.

"C'mon, son! Dontcha want to see your old man?" the father nudged.

After the man noticed Roadhog, he walked up to him with a smile on his face.

"It seems that you've found my son! Thank you so much kind sir, but I'll be taking him now." he said, reaching around Roadhog to grab Jamison's arm.

"Roadie no! Don't make me go! Please!" Jamison pleaded.

Roadhog pulled the father's hand off Jamie and he used his arm as a makeshift shield.

"How do we know that you are indeed his father? And how would either of us trust you after what you've done to your family?" Roadhog questioned, still protecting Jamison.

"He's not your son! Give him back!" the father demanded, grabbing Jamie again and yanking him away before Roadhog could react. The man had dodged the question and apparently snapped.

"Roadie!! Help!" Jamison shouted, fighting his father to get back to Roadhog.

The father just reached into his cloak to put a gun to Jamie's head, making him settle down immediately.

"Let him go." Roadhog half yelled, his voice still booming loud and extremely deep, almost threatening.

"Why do you want to go to him, Jamison? I thought you'd be relieved to see your good ol' dad! Now you see what I have to do? You left me! Left me with her body! I was starving, Jamison!" the father screamed.

"Dad, what did you do with mum's body?" Jamison asked, looking angrily at his father, then back at Roadhog with a sort of 'wink wink nudge nudge' look on his face. The kid was stalling for time, clever.

After a moment of hesitation, the father spoke.

"Man's gotta eat. When you're hungry enough, you'll do some crazy things." the father replied coldly.

"You monster! You ate mum?!" Jamison yelled.

"Well, she's gone. Nothing left but bone. And now, I can't stand the hunger anymore! That is why I need you, Jamison. Do one last favour for your old man, huh?" the father was clearly mentally unstable, pressing the gun further towards his son's head.

Roadhog had heard enough. Nobody threatened, kidnapped, or hurt Jamison without facing him. Now this maniac wanted to eat his own son! Roadhog unclipped his hook from his belt and threw it at the hand with the gun, making it fall to the sand. Jamison realized this and attempted to run, only to be grabbed by the waist.

"Jamison, duck!" Roadhog warned, wielding his scrap gun.

Jamison ducked, allowing Roadhog to blow the maniac's head clean off. The body fell to the sand and dripped blood into the rocks. Jamison ran right over to Roadhog and hugged him.

"Shhhh... it's okay. I'm sorry I didn't act sooner. I didn't want to hurt you." Roadhog reassured, kneeling down to reciprocate the hug. He picked Jamison up and rested him on his hip while he picked up the gun and walked back to his bike.

"Why is the world full of people like him? Why can't they all be nice like you, Roadie?" Jamison asked, getting back in the sidecar.

"There are people beyond this wasteland that are far nicer than me." Roadhog answered.

"Nah... I don't want em'... I just wanna stay with you for right now. Those people gotta wait." Jamison hugged Roadhog's arm.

The older junker replied by giving the small one a pat on the head before they drove off.


	6. Treasure

It had been a long few years in the outback, it seemed like it could change people significantly. Jamison is now ten years old and full of mischief. On this particular day, he was darting from shade to shade as cover from the dreaded Australian sun. Gripping a small leather bag tightly, he approached the nearly decimated remains of the Omnium that started this whole mess. Roadhog had told him not to go in there, yet there he stood at the entrance. The metal fragments of the area were burnt black, along with the sand and dirt in the surrounding area.

"Normal kids don't wanna come here, I guess I'll be the first one!" the little troublemaker mused.

He easily navigated the metal to avoid injury until he reached the very core of the hellhole. A large room by the looks of it. There was an odd smell and a sort of fog in the room. Jamie felt sick to his stomach after five minutes of searching around for parts, though he remained undeterred. Eventually the sickness got to him and he had to start wrapping up his little adventure. Gathering up the small bits of metal and such, the boy was beginning to walk out when something caught his eye. Something was in the sand that had obviously been blown into the room by wind or a storm. It didn't look too big, but it might not fit in his stuffed leather bag. Jamison began to dig for this item before pulling it out of the sand. The item seemed to make his amber eyes widen in surprise. Jamie held it in his arms and ran from the Omnium, stopping only to cough and breathe a little. His skinny legs carried him back to the small hideout the junkers had used for years.

"Back already, Jamie?" Roadhog teased, looking up from his work.

"Roadie, look!" Jamison excitedly dropped the item on a workbench.

"Jamie... do you know how valuable that is? We'd be hunted down if anyone heard about this." Roadhog examined the item.

"Oh..." the boy coughed into his palm, spitting out a large amount of blood.

"You went to the Omnium, right?" Roadhog questioned, receiving a shy nod from his adopted son.

"Sorry... I thought there'd be some good stuff in there." Jamison apologized.

"Let's clean up the mess." Roadhog told the kid.

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Sorry for such a short chapter. I'm working on two other ones and schoolwork on top of all of that, though I don't want to disappoint those who follow this story. Don't hate me I'm trying. I'm just a very busy emo.


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